Most of us just hate to make mistakes. We see failures as roadblocks to our success.
Actually mistakes are part of the learning process. When Joe can't put his hands on an important document needed for filing his income tax, he knows he must spend extra time in obtaining a replacement document. At this point he is likely to devise a new system for keeping track of the documents as they come to him. Without the failure in Joe's handling of the documents, he may not have worked out an effective system for dealing with these papers. Joe learned from his mistakes.
I liked what Matthew McKay and Patrick Fanning said in their book Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem:
Mistakes are information about what works and what doesn't. They have nothing to do with your worth or intelligence. They are merely steps to a goal.
Do you think failures are necessary for success? I would like to hear about your experiences.
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